The Orissa government today said it would prefer to wait for the Supreme Court judgement on the demand of handing over investigation of the sensational case to the CBI.

Unable to trace the nun who was allegedly raped in Kandhamal, the Orissa government on Thursday said it would prefer to wait for the Supreme Court judgement on the demand of handing over investigation of the sensational case to the CBI.

"The matter is with the Supreme Court at the moment," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told reporters while replying to a question on the state government's action in response to the nun's letter.

The Catholic nun who was allegedly raped at K Nuagaon in Kandhamal during the Orissa bandh on August 25, had earlier requested the state government to hand over the investigation of the case to the CBI as she had "no faith" in the state police.

While the Christian leaders confirmed receiving acknowledgement from the state government on receipt of the letter, the chief minister preferred not to make any comment on the issue.

The Bishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Raphel Cheenath had, meanwhile, moved the apex court seeking direction to Orissa government to hand over the case to the CBI. "The SC will hear my petition on October 17," Cheenath told PTI over phone.

Though the crime branch of state police had been assigned investigation of the nun rape case, it had failed to trace the victim so far.

"We have been able to contact Father Thomas Chellan in Kerala but could not find the victim," Crime Branch IG Arun Ray said adding that they had successfully nabbed eight persons in connection with the rape case.

Though the chief minister did not completely reject possibility of handing over the investigation to CBI, he maintained that the state police had acted promptly in the case.

"We have arrested eight persons, including the main accused. The police were preparing to conduct test identification parade with court permission," Director General of Police Manmohan Praharaj said.